He was also responsible for comic recordings from the likes of Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan, along with the Beyond The Fringe team of Jonathan Miller, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett.

But it was a phone call from music publisher Syd Coleman in February 1962 which changed the course of his life.

Coleman said he had met a man called Brian Epstein, who managed a new band called the Beatles, and would Martin be interested in hearing their demo?

When Martin heard the tape - which featured versions of Besame Mucho and Three Cool Cats, as well as originals such as Hello Little Girl and Like Dreamers Do - and went on to meet them, he realised their potential.

George Martin conducting in 1965

During their time together Martin also composed scores for the Beatles films A Hard Day's Night - which earned him an Oscar nomination - and Yellow Submarine, which was nominated for a Grammy.

After the band split, Martin started his own music publishing company and set about working with other artists.

His awards include two Ivor Novellos and in 1999 he was inducted into the American Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

George Martin with his wife Wendy

Martin co-produced Sir Elton John's Candle In The Wind, which was released to mark the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and sold 37 million copies.

Martin continued to produce Beatles music to the end of his career.

In 1995 he started work on the Beatles Anthology and in 2006 produced the Love album, a re-working of the band's songs born out of a Las Vegas stage show with circus troupe Cirque Du Soleil and made with his producer son, Giles.